Shoe accessory



Jan- 14, 4 A. J. EVANS 3,117,385

SHOE ACCESSORY Filed Nov. 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ANTHONY J.EVANSE BY Mfg,

ATTORNEY A. J. EVANS SHOE ACCESSORY Jan. 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledNov. 5, 1962 FIG.5

FIG.6

INVENTOR ANTHONY J. EVANS BY m 5 ATTORNEY 3,117,335 SHSE ACCESSORYAnthony .3. Evans, Box 14, Wendell Depot, Mass. Filed Nov. 5, E562,dear. No. 235,314 3 (Ilaims. (Cl. 36-41) This invention relates to anaccessory for a shoe, and the principal object of the invention residesin the provision of an attachment to a shoe or the like footwear, saidattachment being adapted to be placed in the shoe on the sock liner orinner sole and facilitates the placement of the foot into the shoeacting in the nature of a permanent shoehorn; and the provision of sucha device which includes a gauge located at the heel end of the deviceonly, so that when the accessory is placed in the shoe, it needs only tobe positioned by having said gauge contact the inside of the counter ofthe shoe, i.e., at the heel thereof so that the device is now correctlypositioned and may be cemented in position as for instance by apressuresensitive adhesive already located on the device for attachmentat one end thereof to the shank of the shoe.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of a special newand improved plastic backing member which causes the device to slip muchmore easily into the shoe in the general use thereof, and severaldifferent modifications of the device.

This invention represents an improvement over my United States PatentNo. 3,014,288, dated December 26, 1961, and copending patent applicationSerial No. 186,033, filed April 9, 1962, now Patent No. 3,097,438,granted July 16, 1963.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through a shoe with the formof the novel accessory applied thereto and showing the use of thedevice;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the attachment, parts being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of a modification, one of the parts beingshown folded back in order to show the construction;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a still further modification, parts beingbroken away;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a modified device; and

FIG. 6 is an edge view thereof showing the same in the condition of use.

Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown represented by the referencenumeral 10 a conventional shoe of any description. This shoe has theusual shank, toe, heel, outsole, counter, etc., and this shoe may be ofany well known construction such as Goodyear welt, stitchdown, moccasintype, etc.

The accessory in the present case as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises aheel pad generally indicated at 12. This heel pad has a terminal forwardedge portion at 14 and extends rearwardly terminating in a tab 16. Theheel pad is preferably made of three layers, one of which is at theupper or inner surface which is preferably flocked or has a soft leatherfinish, as indicated at 15. The outer layer 18 is a ribbed plasticconstruction which provides for a greatly improved slipping actionbetween this area and the inside surface of the counter, this beingindicated by the reference numeral 20. The central or middle layer is ofleather or any suitable plastic and is indicated at 16.

The main body of the accessory is indicated by the reference numeral 22and this is a member which extends from the shank at 24 (see FIG. 1) tothe extreme end of the heel at the counter as indicated by the referencenumeral 26, 26 indicating the same location in FIGS.

3,117,335 Patented Jan. 14, l ri i 1 and 2. At its forward end at theunder side thereof it is provided with a cementitious area 28 which hasthe usual covering member to be peeled off and the cementitious areaapplied by pressing in the area of the shank of the shoe.

However, the important and novel feature of the present inventionresides in the fact that the tab 16 is cemented over a major portionthereof to the top surface of the main body portion 22 but leaves a freeportion thereof between the line 26 and the sewed portion in FIG. 2which is indicated by the reference numeral 229. This free element isshown in FIG. 1 and is indicated by the reference numeral 3% and it isthe gauge by which the entire accessory is correctly positioned withinthe shoe prior to being cementitiously attached thereto as described.

In the use of this gauge, the tab 16 is bent up and the main bodyportion 22 is arranged in the shoe with the edge 26 contacting the rearportion or counter of the shoe at the rear of the heel. The edge 26 ofthe body portion 22 is cut out along a curve as clearly shown in FIG. 2in order to conform to the usual counter shape.

When the device has thus been positioned, it is then and then onlycemented by pressing down in the region 28 onto the shank of the shoe at24, leaving the tab extending upwardly and the edge or point 26contacting the inside of the counter as described. The main body portionof the device is of course otherwise free of the shoe throughout exceptin the cementitious area at 28, and the accessory is used as indicatedin FIG. 1. That is, the tab 18 is brought up by the fingers of coursebringing with it the main body portion 22 of the device; the foot isinserted and the foot merely pressed down, the tab 16 acting in thenature of a shoehorn.

The tab 18 can be attached to the main body portion 22 in a variety ofdifferent ways. Since this main body portion is substantially the samein all modifications, it has been indicated by the reference numeral 22.in FIGS. 3 and 4 also. However in FIG. 3, the tab is indicated by thereference numeral 32. It may be of the same flocked construction on oneside and a plastic construction on the other side as heretofore, but itis considerably shorter and is reduced in width as is indicated at 34,being thrust through a slot 36 cut in the main body portion 22 along theline 38. The extending tab portion 40 can then be cemented, stitched, orboth, as shown, and a heel pad 42 can then be adhesively secured overthe portion at 4% concealing the same. This also leaves a gauge 44 freeof the tab and this is exactly like that at 26 and 3% having the samesize and shape and used for the same purpose.

In the modification of FIG. 4, the heel tab is indicated at 46 and itagain is shorter than the one shown in FIG. 2. In this case it issecured adhesively and may also be stitched if desired to the heel padonly at 48, in which case the conjoined heel pad 43 and tab 46 can thenbe adhesively secured to the main body portion 22. In this case howeverthe body portion 22 is cut along the line 50 and a portion of the heeltab 48 which is indicated at 52 and which is not secured in any way tothe tab 46 then becomes the gauge equivalent to that at 44 and 35 Itshould be realized that in FIG. 3 the bottom of the device is viewed andin FIG. 4 the top of the device is viewed, the cementitious area in FIG.4 being underneath the main body portion 22 as indicated by the dottedline 54.

The material used in the present case may be of any convenient orsuitable description and if necessary the parts can be skived wheredesired in order to form smooth connections which will not causediscomfort to the foot.

The important thing is that in all cases there is provided by thisinvention a positive gauge by which the tab 16, 32 or 46 is correctlylocated relative to the counter, heel and upper prior to the securementof the accessory to the sock liner or insoie in the shank portion at 24,and this gauge is provided as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the member30, the member 4 in FIG. 3, and the member 52 in FIG. 4.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 there is shown a different form of the inventionwherein there is no heel pad. The main part of the device is shown at 56and is substantially the same as before, i.e., like the member 22. Thetab 58 is secured as by sewing 60 but in this case the tab lies over hebody 56, not in extension thereof as in FIG. 2. The accessory isinserted in the shoe in the same manner however and has the portion tothe left of the stitching as the gauge as before, this being indicatedat 62, and in use the tab is pulled up manually as in FIG. 6 to be usedto assist in placing the foot in the shoe. Otherwise the tab may be thesame as before but preferably takes a single laminated form of ribbedplastic.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notWish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but What I claim is:

1. An attachment for a shoe having a heel, insole, counter, shank, andupper, said attachment comprising a flat main body portion conforming ingeneral to the shape of the insole of the shoe from the counter to theshank, said body portion terminating at the heel in a rounded edgeconforming to the junction between the counter and the heel portion ofthe shoe, said body portion being secured only at the shank end portionthereof to the insole of the shoe leaving the remainder of theattachment free of the insole, a tab secured to said flat main bodyportion and extending in general conformance thereto from said roundededge inwardly over the flat main body portion for a part only of thelength thereof, and means securing said tab along a line transverse ofthe main fiat body portion and adjacent to but spaced from said roundedend edge whereby said tab may be raised from the fiat main body portionto be used to assist placement of the foot in the shoe, that portion ofthe Hat main body portion between the line of attachment of the tab tothe flat main body portion and said rounded end edge forming a gauge bywhich the attachment is positioned within the shoe by contacting therounded end edge with the counter at the junction of the counter and theheel of the shoe.

2. The attachment for a shoe as recited in claim 1 wherein said tabcomprises a single lamination of plastic material.

3. The attachment for a shoe as recited in claim 1 wherein said tabcomprises a single lamination of plastic material, said plastic materialbeing ribbed in a direction at right angles to the line of attachment ofthe tab to the fiat main body portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS764,635 Scisrn July 12, 1904 769,766 Palmer Sept. 13, 1904 1,530,583Trimbur Mar. 24, 1925 1,782,620 Jones Nov. 25, 1930 2,118,019 BenjafieldMay 17, 1938 2,446,777 Menenlio Aug. 10, 1948 3,014,288 Evans et al Dec.26, 1961 3,050,878 Goeckner et al Aug. 28, 1962

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR A SHOE HAVING A HEEL, INSOLE, COUNTER, SHANK, ANDUPPER, SAID ATTACHMENT COMPRISING A FLAT MAIN BODY PORTION CONFORMING INGENERAL TO THE SHAPE OF THE INSOLE OF THE SHOE FROM THE COUNTER TO THESHANK, SAID BODY PORTION TERMINATING AT THE HEEL IN A ROUNDED EDGECONFORMING TO THE JUNCTION BETWEEN THE COUNTER AND THE HEEL PORTION OFTHE SHOE, SAID BODY PORTION BEING SECURED ONLY AT THE SHANK END PORTIONTHEREOF TO THE INSOLE OF THE SHOE LEAVING THE REMAINDER OF THEATTACHMENT FREE OF THE INSOLE, A TAB SECURED TO SAID FLAT MAIN BODYPORTION AND EXTENDING IN GENERAL CONFORMANCE THERETO FROM SAID ROUNDEDEDGE INWARDLY OVER THE FLAT MAIN BODY PORTION FOR A PART ONLY OF THELENGTH THEREOF, AND MEANS SECURING SAID TAB ALONG A LINE TRANSVERSE OFTHE MAIN FLAT BODY PORTION AND ADJACENT TO BUT SPACED FROM SAID ROUNDEDEND EDGE WHEREBY SAID TAB MAY BE RAISED FROM THE FLAT MAIN BODY PORTIONTO BE USED TO ASSIST PLACEMENT OF THE FOOT IN THE SHOE, THAT PORTION OFTHE FLAT MAIN BODY PORTION BETWEEN THE LINE OF ATTACHMENT OF THE TAB TOTHE FLAT MAIN BODY PORTION AND SAID ROUNDED END EDGE FORMING A GAUGE BYWHICH THE ATTACHMENT IS POSITIONED WITHIN THE SHOE BY CONTACTING THEROUNDED END EDGE WITH THE COUNTER AT THE JUNCTION OF THE COUNTER AND THEHEEL OF THE SHOE.